Broadband-enabled applications also support the health sector. Research demonstrates the relatively low numbers of on-site services in rural and remote Indigenous communities. For example, recent information suggestions that only five First Nations in Manitoba have a hospital on or adjacent to their reserve. This lack of access is accompanied with high costs of travel. Broadband-enabled health applications also decrease wait times for clinical visits, increase compliance with appointments, and support community members like Elders who can find it challenging to leave their communities for medical check-ups. For these reasons, Health Canada’s (2012) Health Infostructure Strategic Action Plan noted that:
“In remote, rural or almost any First Nations or Inuit community, ICTs can potentially be a very powerful tool for strengthening community resources, networks and self-reliance, improving the communities bonding and improving the use and contribution of government funding”.
You can read the Government of Canada’s Evaluation of the eHealth Infostructure Program.
2021 eHealth
During the Covid19 pandemic eHealth has grown in importance. Health Services Canada presents the eHealth tool box, which is found on the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) site under Indigenous health management and initiatives. The number one component of the tool box is connectivity, including fibre-optic infrastructure, followed by access to support, software, ongoing education, data and privacy training.
Digital ICTs and broadband networks are essential for diagnostics, telemedicine, to transfer patient medical records, and for research, education and training. Health practitioners use applications to provide primary and secondary care in areas like tele-oncology, tele-hospice, tele-psychiatry, pediatric care, dermatology, diabetes care, education, and training. Applications also support the digital transfer of health records and increase professional development opportunities. Online applications can help reduce feelings of isolation experienced by some practitioners living in remote communities, helping with retention and recruitment. They can also provide support for patients and their families.
For remote and rural First Nations, broadband-enabled applications allow staff to access information and other resources located in centralized hubs. This is one focus of the First Nations Health Authority, an organization in B.C. that uses ICTs to connect First Nations across the province. One initiative associated with this work is the Mustimuhw Health Data Management System. Initially developed by the Cowichan Tribes and now used by First Nations in several provinces, Mustimuhw is a strong example of a broadband-enabled health application that is putting OCAP principles into action. Learn more about Mustimuhw through their videos on the organization’s website.
In Ontario, Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telemedicine (KOTM) is doing similar work. KOTM is a First Nations-operated telemedicine network that provides services to on-reserve populations in isolated communities. The organization receives funding and support from Health Canada. The video below is a short introduction to KOTM’s work. Read about how KOTM used videoconferencing to facilitate a Chiefs Forum on the H1N1 influenza epidemic in 2009.
The two videos below further outline aspects of KOTM’s work. The first describes the role of Community Telehealth Coordinators, who strengthen a vital link between communities and health care organizations. The second describes how broadband-enabled applications are connecting patients with physicians.